Children Theology as a Cultural Form of Theology

Abstract

The crisis of the Christian tradition in contemporary societies revealed, among other things, the importance of religious education of the young generation. Recently in this area a demand has occurred to treat children, during conversations with them about God, as fully fledged theologians doing so-called child theology. This term is interpreted in three ways: as children`s own theological reflection, as the act of doing childish theology by adults with children and as theology for children (a clarification of academic theology). Nevertheless child theology can be regarded as theology only in a broad sense, as a way of understanding and practicing the faith. Therefore it is practical theology, namely a programme of Christian education in which a child is considered an agent of religious and educational actions. Since doing this childish theology with doing religious actions always takes the specific cultural form, child theology can be recognised also as a cultural form of theology. And because it draws upon co-called pop-culture, it can be called pop-theology as well.